Taming

Tamed wolves with dyed collars.

Taming is a game mechanic that allows the player to domesticate and tame a wild mob.

List of mobs

Tameable

For riding after being tamed

• Donkey
• Horse
• Llama
• Mule
• Skeleton Horse‌
• Trader Llama
• Zombie Horse‌

Pets that follow player after being tamed

• Cat
• Parrot
• Wolf

Trusting

Mobs that trust the player do not flee and do not despawn.

• Fox
• Ocelot

Rideable

Some mobs are always rideable, without needing to tame them. Riding these mobs usually requires them to be equipped with a saddle.

• Camel
• Happy Ghast​
• Pig
• Skeleton Horse‌ (no saddle required)
• Strider

Mechanics

Two tamed parrots on the player’s shoulders.

Each animal can be tamed via different mechanics. Wolves can be tamed by giving the animal bones. Cats and parrots can be tamed by giving the animal its favorite food. Once tamed, these animals follow the player unless told to sit. Tamed wolves fight alongside their master. Tamed wolves and cats can be bred, and they stop hunting animals by themselves. Tamed parrots can ride on the player's shoulder and mimic nearby mob sounds.

Horses, donkeys, mules, llamas and trader llamas can be tamed by repeatedly mounting the animal until it stops bucking the player off. Feeding them their favorite foods makes taming them easier. Once tamed, these animals can be bred and given equipment. Tamed horses, donkeys and mules can be controlled while riding, but only if equipped with a saddle. Camels are always tamed and can be controlled with a saddle.

In Bedrock Edition, skeleton horses do not need a saddle to be controlled while riding. In Java Edition, Skeleton horses can be tamed by the player if the skeleton rider is killed. In Java Edition, zombie horses normally cannot be tamed, but they can be spawned tamed using commands.

Upon the death of a pet wolf, cat, or parrot the message is broadcast to the pet's owner in Java Edition or to all players in the server in Bedrock Edition. In Bedrock Edition, death messages are also produced upon the death of a pet horse, donkey, mule, llama, or trader llama.

Trusting

Some mobs can never be tamed per se, but the player can still gain their trust. Trusting mobs stop fleeing from players, and they do not despawn.

A trusting fox holding an egg in its mouth.

A fox's trust actually can't be gained if the animal spawned naturally, but they can still be bred by the player. Fox kits bred this way trust players. A trusting fox defends the player against a number of mobs.

An ocelot's trust can be gained by feeding it raw cod or salmon.

Special items

These are the foods and other items that are helpful in taming animals or otherwise gaining their trust. No items are required for taming camels, llamas, trader llamas, skeleton horses, and zombie horses.

Mob	Items
Cat Ocelot	Raw Cod Raw Salmon
Fox	Sweet Berries Glow Berries
Horse Donkey Mule	Sugar Wheat Apple Golden Apple Enchanted Golden Apple Golden Carrot
Parrot	Beetroot Seeds Melon Seeds Pumpkin Seeds Wheat Seeds
Wolf	Bone

Achievements

[hide]
Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
PS4	Other
		Leader of the Pack	Befriend five wolves.	This does not have to be in a single game, so multiple games or reloading old saves does count toward this achievement.	20	Bronze
		Lion Hunter	Gain the trust of an Ocelot.	—	15	Bronze
		Plethora of Cats	Befriend twenty stray cats.	Befriend and tame twenty stray cats found in villages. They do not all need to be tamed in a single world.	20	Silver
		Saddle Up	Tame a horse.	—	20	Bronze
		Where have you been?	Receive a gift from a tamed cat in the morning.	The gift must be picked up from the ground.	20	Bronze

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	A Complete Catalogue	Tame all Cat variants!	Tame each of these 11 cat variants:
	Best Friends Forever	Tame an animal	Tame one of these 8 tameable mobs: Skeleton Horse and Zombie Horse can be tamed in the same way as a regular horse to gain this advancement with the ride command.
	The Whole Pack	Tame one of each Wolf variant	Tame each of these 9 wolf variants:

History

[hide]Java Edition Beta
1.4							Added wolves.
[hide]Java Edition
1.2.1			12w04a				Added ocelots.
							Cats were also added but not as an individual mob.
1.6.1			13w16a				Added horses, donkeys, mules, skeleton horses, and zombie horses.
1.11			16w39a				Added llamas.
1.12			17w13a				Added parrots.
1.14			18w44a				Added cats as a separate mob from ocelots.
			19w05a				Added trader llamas.
			19w07a				Added foxes.
1.20			23w12a				Added camels.
[hide]Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.9.0			build 1				Added wolves.
v0.12.1			build 1				Added ocelots.
							Cats were also added but not as an individual mob.
v0.15.0			build 1				Added horses, donkeys, mules, skeleton horses, and zombie horses.
[hide]Pocket Edition
1.1.0			alpha 1.1.0.0				Added llamas.
[hide]Bedrock Edition
1.2.0			beta 1.2.0.2				Added parrots.
1.8.0			beta 1.8.0.8				Added cats as a separate mob from ocelots.
1.10.0			beta 1.10.0.3				Added trader llamas.
1.13.0			beta 1.13.0.1				Added foxes.
1.19.50 Experiment Next Major Update			Preview 1.19.50.21				Added camels through experimental gameplay.
1.20.0			Preview 1.20.0.21				Camels are now available outside experimental toggle.
[hide]Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU1	CU1	1.00	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added wolves.
TU12							Added ocelots.
							Cats were also added but not as an individual mob.
TU19	CU7	1.12	1.12	1.12			Added horses, donkeys, mules, skeleton horses, and zombie horses.
TU54	CU44	1.52	1.52	1.52	Patch 24	1.0.4	Added llamas.
							Added parrots.
			1.83				Added cats as a separate mob from ocelots.

Issues

Issues relating to "Taming" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Gallery

Screenshots

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  A cat and a wolf sitting on a carpet.

• 

  Three tamed wolves following the player around.

• 

  Many tamed wolves sitting.

• 

  A group of begging tamed wolves.

• 

  A tamed baby wolf sitting.

• 

  Many tamed cats.

• 

  A pair of tamed horses.

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  Many tamed skeleton horses with saddles.

• 

  A player riding a skeleton horse underwater.

• 

  A camel sitting next to a player.